Night driving is always more dangerous because of the lack of visibility on the highway when you’re driving in darkness during the evening hours. There’s a higher risk of accidents, especially in dim areas that aren’t well-lit where oncoming traffic is present. This prevents drivers from seeing the road as well, and having enough time to stop if a hazard is present.
Although many streetlights are present, they can glare into the driver’s eyes and affect their ability to see the road, making it harder to see. This can increase the risk of an accident.
How Can I See Better Driving At Night?
If you want to see better if you plan to drive at night, it’s important to keep your windshield, mirrors, and windows clean on your vehicle. Dirt and grime that are present on the windshields can scatter light and cause a glare. A dirty headlight can also limit how well you can see ahead and can even cause there to be a glare for oncoming drivers while driving.
Make it a point to clean the windshields and headlights every week before driving. Store a cleaning kit in your trunk to ensure you can wipe off the dirt at any time, especially when you’re away from home. It’s also important to angle your headlights correctly to ensure they’re directed at the road ahead. You can lose too much illumination if they tilt down too much. If the headlights are directed too high, they can make it difficult for other motorists to see. Visit a repair facility or car dealer for assistance to ensure they’re angled straight ahead.
You can also rely on your high beams for bright lights on your vehicle. Unfortunately, most people underutilized their high beams and forget to use them. They’re useful if you’re traveling through a rural area or on open roads where a lot of other cars aren’t present.
Installing adaptive light systems also offers a high level of convenience to ensure your light beams immediately adjust in different settings, depending on how much outside light is present.
It’s also essential to test your lights to ensure the low and high beams are working correctly. Check your brake lights and signals to ensure everything is visible for other motorists. This will allow you to get an idea of when certain bulbs need to be replaced and can help you to protect yourself in inclement weather conditions. When your vehicle’s lights work properly, you are increasing visibility for both you and the drivers with whom you share the road.
Adjusting your interior lights in the cabin is another good idea. Many people don’t realize that their dashboard lights can be too bright, which is disorienting if you’re staring too long at the dashboard and then immediately look at the road in front of you. The controls will still be visible if you dim them and will prevent the symbols and numbers from becoming distracting.
If you find the outside lights to be too bright when you’re passing streetlamps, your visors can be adjusted to prevent them from glaring into your eyes. You also want to avoid fixing your gaze on the headlights of cars that pass by. Watch for cars but keep your eyes down and to the right of the vehicle as you pass each other to maintain proper visibility.
Scheduling an annual eye exam is also essential to ensure you stay safe if you plan to drive at night and can allow you to practice defensive driving. If you find there to be too many glares when operating your car, it’s a sign you need to talk to your optometrist and maintain a safe distance from other cars.
Do Glasses Help Night Driving?
Yes, wearing prescription glasses can help you to have more visibility while driving in the dark and will correct any issues you have with your vision. You can even select a prescription with an anti-glare coating to prevent outside lights from blinding your vision.
This is a great way to have sharper vision without limiting your time driving at night in the dark. Traditional glasses without an anti-glare coating only block eight percent of outside light, whereas anti-glare lens allow up to 92 percent of light through.
Recent advancements that have been made also offer more visibility to drivers and include high-definition eyeglass lenses for driving at night. These glasses can correct vision issues and can be worn in any type of setting with various levels of illumination.
High-definition lenses include free-form lenses, which are manufactured with computer-controlled equipment. They offer a high level of clarity and can be worn at night or during the day to ensure you drive safely.
Many people also opt for wearing prescription glasses with wavefront lenses, which are created with the same technology used for wavefront-guided customized LASIK. They’re a popular choice because they offer a lot of visibility in all types of lighting conditions to avoid dangerous driving conditions.
It should go without saying, but avoid wearing sunglasses or polarized lenses, which block out a lot of light. They also don’t work well for reducing glare.
Why Am I Having Trouble Seeing Driving At Night?
If you notice you’re having difficulty seeing at night in total darkness, it may be due to night blindness. Night blindness isn’t a disease but is a condition that may be caused by an underlying health issue. Fortunately, it’s a treatable condition to ensure you can improve your ability to see.
Nearsightedness is another vision issue that can make it challenging to see at night and drive safely. Many people wear prescription glasses that aren’t strong enough to correct their eye issues. Some medications that people take can also lead to issues with night vision. They affect the size of the pupils, causing many people to have difficulty seeing in settings with low light.
Cataracts also lead to night vision issues in the dark because they cloud the eyes and prevent as much light from entering the eyes. In most cases, surgery is performed to correct the problem and can deliver long-term results. You’ll be able to see better on the dark road ahead after the procedure is performed.
Some people also have nutritional deficiencies that have a direct impact on their vision, which can be fatal with nighttime driving when you can’t drive safely. Increasing your intake of vitamin A can make it easier to see better at night. Visit your doctor to get a blood test to determine if you need to take a vitamin A supplement. You can also incorporate more mackerel, dairy, and carrots into your diet to ensure you naturally increase your levels for safe driving.
